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The Sense-organs and Perceptions of Fishes ; with 

 Remarks on the Supply of Bait. 



By 



W. Batesou, IVI.A., 



Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge, and Balfour Student in the University. 



With Plate XX. 



The Council of the Marine Biological Association appointed me^ in 

 1889,* to make observations on the perceptions of fishes, and espe 

 cially on those which constitute the modes by which they hunt foi- 

 and recognise their food. It was suggested that this subject should 

 be treated in as wide a manner as possible, and in accordance with 

 this suggestion I have endeavoured to utilize any opportunities which 

 presented themselves of getting an insight into the natural history 

 of marine animals. In addition to this I have also made some experi- 

 ments towards the practical solution of the bait question, both by 

 making artificial baits, and by endeavouring to preserve materials 

 which are already in use for bait. 



The first part of this paper contains an account of those observa- 

 tions which seem to have a scientific interest ; and it is followed by 

 some remarks on the present condition of the supply of bait, together 

 with suggestions as to possible solutions of the difficulty. 



Evidence bearing on the perceptions of aquatic animals is some- 

 what difficult to obtain, owing to the absence of any points of simi- 

 larity between the conditions of their lives and those of terestrial 

 forms. To interpret their behaviour by comparison with our own is 

 even more clearly an inadequate treatment than it is in the case of 

 the other lower animals. From the nature of the case, moreover, 

 satisfactory evidence as to their conduct in tlie wild state is scarcely 

 to be had, so that it is necessary to depend lai'gely upon observations 

 made upon them while living in tanks. It must be understood, there- 

 fore, that the statements here made are, strictly speaking, descrip- 



* This appointment was made in connection with Mr. Robert Bayly's grant to the 

 Association for an investigation of the means whereby deep-sea fishermen may be better 

 supplied with bait. 



